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SINGAPORE – Muslim leaders were told six months ago that the government is considering allowing nurses to wear tudung at work, Internal Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said on Tuesday (March 23).
He said then that the government was discussing this internally as it could see good reasons for making this change, he revealed Tuesday night. He added that the government would announce the result after consulting the community and other groups.
The minister was speaking in a dialogue with senior Muslim religious leaders at the Khadijah Mosque on Geylang Road.
Three of the leaders who attended the meeting in August, Ustaz Hasbi Hassan, president of the Singapore Association of Religious Teachers and Islamic Scholars (Pergas), as well as Ustaz Ali Mohamed and Ustaz Pasuni Maulan, both members of the Pergas council of elders , were also present on Tuesday and confirmed that he had delivered those statements at that time.
Ustaz Hasbi told reporters that the update was welcome and a positive development, adding: “We did not raise the matter publicly because the discussions were behind closed doors.”
Mr. Shanmugam said that the discussions would take a few more months and that the Government would announce its decision after that.
His comments come two weeks after comments in Parliament by two Malaysian / Muslim ministers on the issue sparked critical reaction among segments of the community.
On Tuesday, Shanmugam made it clear that in a previous closed-door dialogue he had at the same location on August 31 last year, Ustaz Hasbi had asked him about the issue of nurses wearing the tudung or headscarf.
The minister had replied at the time that the Government could see good reasons for allowing the nurses to wear the tudung if they so wished. He also said then that the government was consulting with the community before making a change, and that several discussions were taking place, points that he reiterated on Tuesday.
A decision will be announced after community discussions, he added at the time.
Mr. Shanmugam also said that this position is consistent with what the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli and the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman had told Parliament on March 8.
Mr. Masagos had said that the government sympathizes with nurses who wish to wear the tudung as part of their uniform, and the matter is being discussed. He also said that they had been involving nurses, as well as union leaders, religious teachers and others.
Dr. Maliki also told Parliament that there is consensus that the issue is sensitive and that it is best discussed behind closed doors.
Mr. Shanmugam said that because Mr. Masagos was making his comments in public, he was more careful. Mr. Masagos’ reply meant that the Government understands the sentiments of those who want nurses to be allowed to use the tudung. “It’s a sign of flexibility,” he said.
“He did not say no. Unfortunately, (there have been) many misunderstandings about what Ministers Masagos and Maliki have said,” Shanmugam added.
“The clearest indication of our position is what I told you six months ago,” he said. “Minister Masagos and I were expressing the government’s position. But since he spoke in public, in Parliament, he had to be more general, while I could be more direct with you, in private.”
Shanmugam told Muslim leaders on Tuesday that discussions with the community are ongoing and will take a few more months. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will also meet with community leaders.
“When the discussions are completed, the government will announce the decision,” he said.
She added that in her comments to high-level religious leaders last year, she had talked about how women use tudung in many government departments and in most areas of the health sector.
“Our president wears tudung. In Parliament, parliamentarians wear tudung,” he said.
“I also said: if you just look at that point, nurses wearing tudung, it wouldn’t be a problem. The rules would have been changed a long time ago,” he added.
“But it was related to other factors, so we had to make careful considerations.”
The minister added that the government must weigh the different considerations against each other and reach a judgment.
“We spoke frankly, behind closed doors. In private, I was able to frankly share with you our position and the sensitivities and difficulties that concern us,” Shanmugam said in the dialogue Tuesday. “In public, we are careful how this is discussed.”
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Minister Masagos noted that Malaysian / Muslim MPs have conveyed the views of the Malaysian / Muslim community on the issue to the cabinet and have spoken with different groups for some time.
“These conversations are mostly held behind closed doors, and we frankly discussed the different compensations. Most understood why it is necessary to give and take, since we live in a multi-religious country where the preservation of common secular spaces should be a priority, “he said.
“The government can see good reasons why Muslim nurses can have more flexibility to use tudung if they wish. We came to this view some time ago and we are likely to change our current position. But the problem is related to other factors, so it has to be carefully considered. “
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